


So Close

by KilledByMoonfire, Wersa



Series: Path to Eternity [1]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Mutual Pining, Ratings will go up over time, Slow Burn, Two Baby Idiots, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Useless Lesbians, soft lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25874305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KilledByMoonfire/pseuds/KilledByMoonfire, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wersa/pseuds/Wersa
Summary: Diana battles with her inner demons, while Leona does the same with her feelings for Diana.A training session quickly turns tense.Set in past verse.
Relationships: Diana/Leona (League of Legends)
Series: Path to Eternity [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877566
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	1. Mending

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally a roleplay between KilledByMoonfire and I. Please bear with any inconsistencies.
> 
> I take no credit for her portion of the writing, while she did give me permission to post it to my account to make it easier to read the threads as a whole. We simply decided to post our writing here to make it easier to read, so enjoy!
> 
> Find us on Tumblr for original posts and more at @moonaspect ( KilledByMoonfire ) and @sunszenith ( Me, Wersa ).

Reckless. It's what she always thought of whenever Leona got hurt. There was no doubt the drive to best her opponent, but even in training she found she went a bit too far. That, or the instructors had been particularly harsh that day. Regardless, there was Diana, bandaging her minor wounds, as they were wounds nonetheless.

"Can you stay unharmed for five seconds...? What even happened now?"

A tired sigh rang out as Leona set her shield aside next to herself. Reaching up, she began to undo the braid keeping her hair in place at the back of her head. She looked over at Diana with a raised brow, soon followed by a smile she couldn't have hid even if she'd wanted to. “ Really, five seconds? I think they already passed just now. ”

But the attitude didn't last forever, and soon enough she was content just sitting there watching Diana at work.

“ Sometimes you've got to let them get a hit in, so they think they're getting the upper hand. ”

Having crushed some herbs she got from the priests, Diana would mix them in a small bowl, soon after passing the oil that came out of them on one of the wounds on Leona's leg. However, she'd pause in the middle of such task, distracted by the other's taunt, and even more so at her excuse.

Bright blue eyes would shift towards her, half lidded as they were, unsure if due to her constant tiredness or for her unamusement. "And you had to feed their ego this much? You could have seriously gotten hurt." She huffed.

"I'd rather this not be part of our routine."

Patient as ever, Leona watched in silence as Diana prepared the oil. She adjusted her clothes, making the wound more accessible. Then, she let out a small snort in response to the question asked of her, dangling her legs a little from where she was sitting. No response. . . Oh. She was being serious?

“ Well, no. But I'm fine. It's gonna take a lot more than a flesh wound to finish me off, you can be sure of that, ” she assured her, even going as far as to rest one hand atop Diana's soothingly and she attempted to capture her gaze with her own to really get the point across.

“ Why, would that be such a bad thing? ”

Certainly she could be overreacting, they were mere scratches after all —sometimes bruises— but that wasn't really the alarming factor Diana was focusing on. And, even with the other's reassurance, it'd take more for her to let all of this pass over her head.

She worried more than she was accounted for, that was for sure, and her stubbornness did not help with that. So as she felt the hand gingerly resting over her own, her blue gaze would slowly peel away from the wound and to Leona, albeit it was half lidded and unamused.

"Yes, you are fine, for now. It can be a bad thing if they start taking advantage of your oh so generous tactics." She explained, mostly overthinking of her own, hand slipping from under the other's light hold, now serving to envelop her wound with a bandage.

Lips came apart in what would have been a response — likely something witty, but the words never quite rolled off her tongue. As much as she liked pointing these things out, Leona wasn't one to question why Diana worried so.

Instead she allowed the other's hand to slip away freely, a tad more somber herself.

“ These ' generous tactics ' felled five men today, Diana. ” And there she was, doing well all things considered.

“ Listen. If it'd make you worry less, why don't you come with us next time? I would stop taking hits if you did. ” Once again, she held her breath as if there was more to be said. Perhaps she just didn't think it'd be worth mentioning that the reason why she wouldn't have time to take those hits would be because she'd be too busy making sure that Diana wasn't taking them instead.

The implication would lead to the pale woman's own lips to part, but instead letting a quiet scoff escape them. The pull on the bandages tightening briefly, as if mirroring her frustration gained from this conversation.

"Do you want a pat on the back? I'm not doubting your capabilities, I'm just also not underestimating theirs." She could complain all she wanted about this 'routine', but truth was she was terribly afraid of the day Leona wouldn't come to her for medical attention. A day she would need an actual healer.

Blinking away the intrusive thoughts, Diana would exhale lightly, almost a sigh at the subtle request. "I have... _duties_ within the library, besides, how would that be of any help?" Not only did she help mend them, but she'd have to witness her getting injured too? As if.

Leona's soft auburn eyes settled upon Diana more directly once she heard that scoff. She blinked once upon having her thigh squeezed beneath the pressure of the bandage. Ah, of course. She didn't realize her mistake until that moment.

“ Just training then? You wouldn't be a liability and you could use some fresh air every once in a while. ”

She tried. It's still not too good. It's uncertain if the grimace she was making was over her own words or from the sting of having her wound handled.

“ I don't know, it was just a thought. ” Leona shrugged, then. She put her hands down on the bench and leaned some of her weight back on them, sighing softly. Why did it have to be so easy talking to those she had little to no concerns for, yet so hard talking to the one person she really did?

With the silence, she turns back her focus towards the bandage. Upon noticing how tight it was, she briefly gazed at Leona, and noticing her grimace, she quietly cleared her throat as she unwrapped it slightly as to not hurt the other. Mostly disguising her realization with a blank expression.

Tsk. Her tongue clicked at the subtle remark, the one indicative she was still paying attention. "I do get fresh air, thank you very much." At night, but she did. Regardless, not being in trouble would be good for once, she just didn't think being around Leona would do _her_ problems any good.

"Just a thought." She repeated, unconvinced, finishing up the bandaging of that one wound. "Most of them hate me. Your thought wasn't elaborate enough." She added, looking her over for any more scratches.

She had deserved that, and Leona wasn't one to argue for the sake of her own ego, really.

Instead she unclasped the straps behind her ribs and unfastened her breastplate and its surrounding pieces. Once she had successfully rid herself of her upper body armor and she was left in nothing but her leather under-suit from the waist up, she peeled it down around her shoulder to reveal another cut just above her shoulder blade.

“ I'm sorry. I guess it gets a little lonely out there and I wasn't thinking far enough. ” She tried, holding the leather around her bicep so it wouldn't slide up and interfere with Diana's work. She then swung her healthy leg over the bench to the other side so she could turn her back towards Diana, making it easier for her to reach where she needed to. Her hair was a little mattered and some of it clung to her still sweaty neck.

“ Though, you know that if anyone disrespects you, they have to answer to me, right? I won't let that happen. ”

She'd quietly wait for the other to present the other wound, calmly getting more of the oil solution with her fingers as her other hand helped her move away the fabric. Soon after, calmly moving away her auburn hair and resting it on her right shoulder.

"Lonely? What about your friends there?" She questioned, not truly out of interest on the topic at hand, more so at the poor excuse itself.

Deft fingers would spread the oils around the scratch, paying mind to not irritate it as she did so. Her touch was barely noticeable, if it wasn't for the cool feeling the medicine gave on the skin.

Hearing the following remark, she'd tense up slightly, masking it with a light, yet sorrowful, chuckle. "And you'll do what? Talk them out of it?" She shook her head, "Regardless of your authority, I don't believe they'd listen." Not that it mattered much, they weren't the reason she feared going; not the first one, at least.

“ Friends? Oh. They aren't— ”

_You. They aren't you._

“ We aren't really that close. ” She explained, looking ahead of herself so that Diana wouldn't notice the way her cheeks turned slightly red. Damn that complexion! Knowing that Diana was so carefully patching her up, despite how little she felt of it, really did not help either. Taking in a deep breath, Leona made sure that her hair covered most of her face when she looked over her shoulder next.

“ I shan't try to change your mind, Diana. But if you ever do, know that I'd be happy to bring you along. ” She left it at that for a while, waiting patiently while Diana finished up her work on that scratch.

She did not notice her slight hesitation, at least it didn't seem she did. Diana seemed more worried about treating this injury, as minor as it was. Leona never seemed too fond of scars, anyway. So she was trying to do her best to treat them correctly.

"Aren't you...? Hm. Odd." Was what she merely said, getting some of the herb matter to put over the wound, "Tell me if it hurts." She advised before beginning to put it over where the skin actually torn open, being even more careful now. Diana knew pain very well, and she knew this was practically nothing, but she'd be damned if she caused even a sliver of pain on Leona.

With that done, she'd tap on her hand holding her under suit, only to then properly put it over the treated area she had just worked on. "Well, I can think about it... Perhaps in a more empty day." She remarked, feigning disinterest. "If I go are you sure you won't do this then?" She asked, head tilting slightly, making her platinum blonde hair cascade down one shoulder, "If you get hurt, you'll have to help me in the library for an afternoon." She taunted, lips curling in a hint of a smirk as pale blue eyes narrowed slightly.

Of course it stung a little, but Leona was used to pain and hiding it. She didn't even flinch. That, and Diana had done a remarkable job soothing the area before applying the paste. “ It's fine. ” She smiled, turning her head just enough to catch movement from the corner of her eye, but careful not to move so much that she made it harder on the other.

As soon as Diana had gotten her covered up, Leona turned back around. Her radiant smile reached even her eyes when she spoke, “ I'm sure of it, Diana. I'll be sure to use this old thing for protection, not just bashing skulls in with it. ” She reached out to place a hand down on her shield, patting it once as she addressed it. It wasn't old at all, in fact she was just given it quite recently to replace her old one and grant some extra flair with her new title. She had been so happy that day.

“ I can do that. ” Leona confirmed, her warm auburn eyes lighting up with a spark few got to see. “ You won't find a single scratch on me. ”

"Then... Sure. If everything works out I can stay and watch." She still wasn't sure why her presence would even help in this case, and even if she proposed the trade, she truly hopped she didn't win it, as much as she enjoyed Leona's company.

Still, she somehow seemed to like the idea, by the way her gaze seemed to light up with her answer. Diana clicked her tongue, almost tutting as she faced away; part to organize the healing supplies, part because the other's reaction seemed to somehow overwhelm her. "Good, I don't think you'd like to help around the library anyway, so have it as some good incentive." She said, words leaving in midst a sigh.

"And yes, you better use it. Part of me thinks you're afraid of denting it." She remarked, briefly looking at her over her as she gathered the herbs and bandages.

Realizing that her reaction may have been a bit much for the other, Leona relaxed herself a bit more. She attempted to appear calm, yet the spark in her eyes never really went out.

And that was the moment Leona made a mental note to stop by the library more often. Right when Diana said that.

Leona feigned shock, even complete with a hand to her chest at the last remark. “ How dare you! Look at it, it's still shining. ” Of course she wasn't actually hurt by the slight jab. And of course she would let it dent, should someone be able to strike it hard enough — a shield was a small price against a human life, after all.

“ Really though. Is it that bad? You don't think I'd be good with books? ” She shot a thoughtful look towards the shield, before looking back at Diana again.

She shook her head as the other put up her offended façade, paying half a mind to gathering her supplies. Frankly, the other's display was rather amusing, and she would indeed take a quick gaze at the aforementioned shield before even processing the next question.

She'd let out a pseudo scoff with that, one that'd represent her own sarcasm. "Perhaps if you treat the books as well as you treat your shield, you'll be better at handling them than I am." she said, tilting her head at the other once she faced her.

But she'd shrug her shoulders and look down for a moment, "I just thought you wouldn't enjoy it. There's a lot of mindless reading and organizing." She completed, now with a more serious note as she got up, supplies neatly gathered in a basket.

"Sometimes even I get tired of it." came a subtle addition, pale hand extending towards the other as if to help her up as well. "If I manage to sneak away tomorrow I'll try to watch."


	2. Training

It was early in the morning when Leona entered the training quarters. So early, the sun hadn’t yet warmed the surrounding rocks nor the air itself. Leona liked to do her training at this time the most ; the cool air provided her with much more comfort once she got started.

Today she grabbed her bandages off her armor rack and began wrapping her hands. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and that was when she realized that Diana had been here the whole time. The smile from yesterday returned to her features.

" You’re early. " she chirped, walking over to where her friend was sitting. Once she had finished wrapping her hands she turned her full attention to Diana. 

It was indeed pretty early, but for Diana it was hardly a new day. She had been watching the Moon go by the blackened sky again, the calming visage distracting her from any kind of tiredness at the time. But as much as it was for her own peace, that was also a good time to sneak away from her quarters to the training fields.

She’d close the book she read while she waited, noticing the other’s words as she approached. She had been sitting on the marble benches, calmly waiting for Leona to arrive.

“So are you.” She responded as she lowered the book, resting it on her lap. Her eyes were somewhat dulled by exhaustion, but otherwise she seemed fine. “Do you like to race the birds or is there a reason to get here before anyone else?”

Leona chuckled and scrunched up her nose a bit in amusement. " No, but they do have it right you know. About getting up early. "

Closing her hands into fists and opening them again soon after a few times to test the bindings, she eventually decided she had done a decent job. She cast one last look at Diana before moving over to a clear spot & began to stretch out, warming her muscles up to the task ahead.

" The cold helps. I prefer not overheating whenever I lift a finger, as opposed to the rest of the day. "

True enough, lifting a finger might have been a slight overreaction, but sometimes it really wasn’t far off. More than that even, perhaps, she also enjoyed her few moments of solitude — that is, of course, when Diana wasn’t keeping her company. But Leona found that she didn’t really mind that either.

It was a fair enough excuse, at least in Leona’s case. The cold of the mountain never truly left Diana, so early or not there wouldn’t be such a big difference… Besides of how tired she’d be, which right now was a considerable amount.

Still, she did agree to come, and she hoped it wouldn’t be much trouble. Perhaps watch for a bit and go her way towards the library, in time for the lectures. Hopefully she’d be alright for the rest of the day, otherwise she was sure to get an earful from the elders.

“Overheating? Right. I’d actually have thought you’d enjoy basking under the sunlight. But I suppose it makes sense.”

She shrugged. At least she had some time before the sunlight started to bother her vision, for now it was rather comfortable. Most likely because dawn had just begun… The purples and oranges were easy on the eyes.

“What are you doing today? Anything interesting?”

Straightening up, Leona hooked one arm around the other to stretch it properly for a few moments before she switched and did the same to the opposite arm. By the time she got to her legs, crouched down on the ground to straighten them out behind herself one at a time, she hummed thoughtfully and looked back at Diana.

If she was to be completely honest with herself, it _was_ incredibly nice to have the company she did — Leona didn’t mind being watched while she did… Well, anything physically demanding. But this was somehow different. Nicer.

" Just the usual, " she said, eyeing the smaller woman on the bench. She did so in a way that suggested that she was sizing her up, almost. After a short moment, Leona gained a possibly rather irritatingly smug grin on her face.

" Would you like to join me? "

It was clearly a challenge.

Diana was expecting many things as an answer. Maybe an endurance training, running, combat — But nothing this… shallow? But her worry came from the pause she made, her gaze narrowing slightly as she noticed Leona practically scan her. And, judging by her stupid grin, nothing good could come out of it.

She began to wonder what all of that was for, and only bad answers were formed in her mind, yet none of those conclusions from the basis of her _own_ thoughts. Surprisingly, the question that followed all of this greatly exceeded her terrible expectations, but just as she was about to hide a relieved sigh, the words were repeated in her head.

“Join you…?” Maybe not the greatest thing to do then and now, especially since Leona already had great advantage for having rested, but…-  
“A simple and quick spar. Nothing more.” came her answer. She was trained as well, albeit not for the same purpose as Leona. She thought she could handle it.

Perhaps her tiredness was indeed clouding her judgment.

Just as the first bird began to chirp from somewhere within the mist around them, Leona drew in a deep breath and chuckled. Oh, this was going to be fun.

She got up, that stupid grin still fresh on her features. She walked over to the armor rack and grabbed one of the training shields along with a blade — lighter than what she was used to, but she could make do. Leona then gestured for Diana to do the same.

" Come on then. " The grin hadn’t faded yet. She’d been wanting a chance to cross blades with Diana for a while now, ever since she first saw her with one in hand, in fact.

As she waited for her friend to pick up her weapon, Leona settled in a defensive position — just in case Diana didn’t think she could get more annoying.

Her previous worries could have been disproved, but it did not mean she stopped worrying at all. Part of her expected this to be another way of mockery, somehow; the other’s chuckle not falling on deaf ears, but perhaps merely being misunderstood.

She’d get up, placing her book down on the marbled bench as she went over to the weapon rack. Just that small motion made her realize this was, in fact, a terrible idea. Perhaps just as it was when she agreed to come, yet just like before, she settled on continuing, as she had already accepted the offer.

She’d grab a training blade and shield just as advised, then walks back to the other’s dramatic position. She rolled her eyes and did a tentative slash against her. The weapon felt heavy on her hand, and by that point she was unsure if it was also due to her tiredness.

Still, if Leona wanted to spar, she’d do her best to not make a _fool_ out of herself.

" You can do better than that. " Leona knew that much — she’d seen it herself whenever she would pass by while Diana was training, as rare as it might’ve been.

As she was speaking, Leona countered the strike with a similar one of her own, being mindful not to make it too hard in comparison and hurt Diana, or even just knock the weapon from her hand. She crouched a little, finding balance that way as she caressed Diana’s blade with her own for a brief moment.

Diana’s hesitancy caused Leona to straighten up if only for a moment. She nudged her friend’s sword with the broad side of hers, looking at Diana with a raised brow.

" You know I can take it, go ahead Diana. "

The taunt would get the pale woman to let out an incredulous scoff under her breath, a slight sneer tugging at her lips. She was frankly not sure what Leona wanted those words to mean, but Diana had certainly not taken them lightly.

“Yeah, just testing if feeding someone’s ego also works on you.” She replied, a hidden lie. Her tone oddly cold in response to the well-meaning remark from the other, her gaze even going dull for a moment.

“Don’t be mistaken, I’d love to be the first one to make a dent on your pretty shield.”she added, words unclear if they were a revoked taunt or simply bitter. Truth was, Leona’s playful comments were nowhere near close to their original harmless nature to Diana. She was very used to mockery, but to hear it come from her friend made her feel a special kind of _hurt_.

And with that, she’d use the remaining of her restless strength to deliver a flurry of attacks on the other.

A slight head tilt came following the tone in Diana’s voice, though she had little time to ponder over why her friend sounded so… hurt? — as she was soon to be descended upon.

" That’s more like it. " Leona smiled behind her shield and reached below it to sweep at Diana’s legs, knowing she would be quick enough to dodge it, but adding a bit of a challenge for the other woman.

After that she simply let Diana’s blade thunder against her shield again and again, for as long as she was content with that. " You’ll have to let me use my own shield, then. " Finally she laughed, even as she said that, in that usual light way of hers. She was unmistakably having fun with their little spar, completely oblivious to what lurked in the corners of Diana’s mind.

Slowly, she moved closer to Diana, making it easier to reach her with her own sword. There was some loud clashing of steel, and the rest hit the surface of her shield.

Diana seemed to pay no mind to the comments, either that or they didn’t reach her, for more reasons than one. She was focusing, for one, and the other because, perhaps, she simply didn’t want to acknowledge them.

Thankfully focusing, that is. If it wasn’t for that, the other’s blade would come crashing against her legs, but she instead rushed to her other side, her own blade meeting the other’s shield a couple of times then.

Her mild anger ceased once Leona let her bash at her shield all she wished, noticing this was mostly for the woman’s own amusement than the mockery she expected. It was then her body relaxed a bit, instead of the on-edge appearance she had before. Still, she stood quiet.

The spar had been going for only a few minutes, and as much as she tried to maintain her pace for the other’s sake, her eyes started to become dull and half-lidded. No matter, she masked it quite well by catching the other’s attacks and retorting with some of her own, not wanting to give up this soon and embarrass herself.

If only Diana knew how Leona saw her. Maybe then she would understand that there was nothing she could do to embarrass herself in Leona’s eyes.

Only once there’s a pause in Diana’s attacks did Leona lift her shield to peek under it at her. There was a happy expression on her face until she noticed how tired Diana looked. That’s when realization dawned on her.

Indicating the end of the spar, she tossed her weapons aside in favor of moving over, far into Diana’s personal space even. So close, Diana would feel her soft, rapid breaths.

" Did you sleep tonight? " She asked carefully, concern written over her features clear as day. She would’ve touched Diana’s shoulder by instinct if she hadn’t stopped herself halfway through.

Perhaps that was a little soon.

" Thank you for that. The others barely keep me on my feet. " She smiled instead, reaching a hand out to offer taking Diana’s weapon for the time being.

It took some time for her to process the spar had ended, her arm continuing the motion until it merely misses Leona in a pathetic swing. Diana’s gaze was low, blurred, and she felt wobbly on her feet. A deep exhale left her, as if glad this was over.

She’d let the other take her weapon, the hilt of the sword simply sliding off her fingers. “Does it matter?” She replied the question with one of her own, seemingly trying to catch her breath.

Her breathing was fast and sometimes uneven, and she was trying to focus on it so she wouldn’t just collapse on the training field. In a way she was still trying to mask it all by standing as upright as possible, but her body couldn’t help but hunch a bit, and the way she stepped around in place, trying to catch her balance, did not help much.

She hadn’t noticed the other’s proximity just yet, not until her chin lowered from her exhaustion, making her forehead bump on the other’s, her knees _almost_ giving in. “No…” Came the obvious response; in a meek, quiet mumble.

Taking the sword from Diana, Leona threw it into the pile with her own.

This time, she perished whatever thought held her back before and not only did she reach for Diana’s shoulder, she went to wrap both of her arms around her. The hug was tight and steadying, Leona’s strong arms providing Diana with all the warmth & security she could ever need, just for its duration. Just for now.

" Of course it matters, " she whispered, her forehead almost coming down to touch Diana’s. There was a certain level of hesitance in her every movement, as if she was working herself up to something.

Something about the way Diana had been swaying caused Leona’s heart to drop a little in her chest. She shouldn't have pushed her. She should’ve noticed how tired she looked. Even now she should just —

Tilting her chin up so that their lips were mere inches apart, Leona’s heart suddenly beat faster than it did during the spar & she let out a shaking breath.

_So close._

The sudden touch made her flinch subtly, the other’s arms lightly pressing against her rather new scars on her back. But it was a stinging pain she quickly ignored, the reason for the pain turning it into a fading inconvenience. 

She’d let out a drawn out hum, as if both protesting and enjoying the embrace in the same continuous, resonating sound. She didn’t want to argue with her remark, even if she thought it was a useless thing to worry over. She was tired, yes, but she could just rest later.

Still, the hug was quite comforting, her hands even moving to rest by the other’s back as if attempting to return it. She did not really understand the reason for all of it, but she didn’t inquire about it either. Apparently being arguably oblivious to her troubled footing then.

As the other lowered her head, Diana’s breath hitched slightly. She knew what she was trying to do, and by the gods, did she let her.

No matter, it seemed the others would know also, judging by the approaching steps and laughter from other trainees, just now getting to the training grounds. Regardless, the smaller woman did not seem to notice their arrival.

She could almost taste her. Leona had never wanted to take something for herself as much as she wanted to take Diana’s lips with her own, right then. She wanted to know, unequivocally, what that was like — she’d wanted to know for so long now, she could scarcely remember not looking at Diana’s lips and thinking of it. And yet, she failed to connect them for just a moment too long.

But a moment was all it took for them to be interrupted.

One of her friends whistled sharply at the pair, and Leona stiffened on the spot. She let go of Diana out of shock as adrenaline pumped into her veins. Looking around, she decided to give a very small, very annoyed wave at her friend to try to keep it from getting too awkward.

Damn it, why couldn’t he just have let her have this. It’s not like he didn’t know she’d been looking for a chance to be alone with Diana all summer.

Leona shot an apologetic glance towards Diana. She could only imagine how this must feel to her.

It was rather startling, being pushed away after what felt like a hopeful tease. The girl would firstly catch her balance, then shoot a glare towards the other woman. Was she just playing with her…? Taunting her again? At that moment, her thoughts had been clashing against one another.

Still, as she witnessed the annoyed wave Leona gave to the approaching students, everything would make sense to her.

Her first conclusion was that the other was afraid, or even embarrassed of being seen with her. Well, she’d have good reason, most of her friends did not like her anyway. She had seen them whisper… She had seen them _mock_.

It was only heartbreaking to realize that maybe Leona was indeed scared to be seen with her, to like the ‘crazy girl’ with the weird questions and curiosities. So when she took notice of the apologetic look, all Diana did was look away. Had she seen it a moment longer, her rage and sadness would materialize into tears.

“I guess I’ll go now. Have fun training.” She said, as calmly as she could manage. Still, a few hurt tones hinted at her pauses. She’d turn around to leave the small pit, fixing her posture as she focused on walking her way to the library, going through the other end of the arena as to not be confronted by the others, even if she felt the stares and heard their chuckles.

Diana couldn’t have been further from the truth. Leona couldn’t care less about what the other Solari thought of her, or them, or this. But her friend making it awkward for them with that whistle did throw her off. And now, it seemed, she had upset the person she least wanted to.

She didn’t think far, but she did think fast.

" Diana! " It was a reflex more than a conscious decision when she reached out and jogged over to where her friend now was. Everyone fell silent, eyes glued to the little scene unfolding before them.

" L-let me come with you, " She said, low enough that the others might not hear it. There were nerves, but also hope in her voice. A little bit of the spark she usually had about her. She tried to gesture with her eyes for them to leave quickly, although she wasn’t entirely sure if it translated as that.

" I’m sorry, let me make it up to you. " She continued as she started off in the direction Diana was going, voice still a little hushed to better show how sincere she was — these words were for nobody’s ears but Diana’s.

The pale woman kept walking, eyes set on the horizon, even as the other started to catch up on her pace. The one moment they met gazes being when Leona proposed her request, Diana then briefly facing her, looking to see if she was serious or not.

“Don’t you have training to do?” She asked, looking away soon after. Not a no, but also not a yes. The other’s rushed demeanor sending her missed signals she couldn’t truly bother with at that moment. Besides all that, Diana did not make any true effort to stop the other from following her, she had no energy to.

“Make it up to me? You have nothing to make up to.” She added, her voice mostly nonchalant, as if she truly believed in it. “I’d recommend going back to your friends, else they start creating rumors. You wouldn’t want that, would you?” She added, facing the other as her blue eyes focused on her. They lingered for a moment, as if not expecting a rebuke of any kind, or really, waiting for some kind of realization.

“I’ll just go to the library.” She sighed, almost a huff. She’d have to go there before some idiot decides to tell the elders where she was. So her steps quickened, even if it only served to further blur out her vision. She didn’t care.

She did have more training to do, indeed. Yet suddenly that didn’t matter, not today.

The way Diana looked off wasn’t lost on her either, and Leona took a step towards her. Truth be told, she would rather be with Diana right then — much rather, in fact. But formulating that in a way that wouldn’t come off as clingy wasn’t easy for her.

So, all she managed to do was shake her head in response and hope that Diana wouldn’t mind her following her.

" Diana, " Leona said again when the other turned around and hurried onward. Truth be told, she was beginning to worry about her quite a lot. Her tiredness, the way she slouched slightly and her walk was uneven all sent red flags towards Leona.

That gave her an idea.

Allowing herself a bit of mischief, Leona moved over and scooped Diana up in a bridal style hold, holding her in a way that if she squirmed, she wouldn’t hurt herself and yet holding on to her tightly enough that there’d be little of said squirming. She’d then continue on towards the library with Diana in her arms.

" It doesn’t matter what they do. Not to me. "

Oh, she would manage it alright. Diana was by no means expecting her to keep going. In her mind, she was waiting for her to leave like so many had before, to fall into her senses that all of this was a bad idea to her. So when the other scooped her up, there was little to no reaction at it initially.

However, the smaller woman would let out an astonished huff from the surprise. Her hands would immediately grab at the other’s clothes, attempting any form of stability, even as she protested slightly by briefly flailing her legs soon after.

“No- Leona! What are you doing-…” Was all she managed to say, in a hushed but firm tone. Still, she’d settle after a good moment, not having near enough energy to fight about it any longer. Her grasp on the other’s clothing would maintain strong, but her body would relax slightly on her hold.

“Oh, really? How very _bold_.” She replied at the comment, a deep exhale following her words; She had enough of that topic and Leona’s stubbornness.

“I can _walk_ , you know…? And I do know my way to the library.” came the addition. And although her tone was unwavering, it did become quieter, and her eyes bordered closing as she focused anywhere but the other. There was a shame in all of this she couldn’t quite explain just yet.

Leona remained silent, with only one of those stupid smiles on her face giving away what she was thinking for the majority of the way. Not even when Diana threw sarcasm back at her did she falter. She was content — she got to carry Diana.

When she finally spoke, it was in a softer tone even, than she normally used with Diana. " I know, but you don’t have to right now. " Came her quiet response at last. Whether or not she actually believed that Diana was in any way fit to walk on her own at the moment was another story entirely.

As if she’d sensed that the smaller woman was dozing off, Leona slowly nudged her head so that it’d rest closer against her own chest, close to where her heart was racing under her shirt. She did so without even looking at Diana, just in case she’d see the slight red tinting her cheeks at the thought of Diana resting against her so.

It was a short walk to the library, then. Leona wished they could’ve stayed like this for much longer — with Diana sleeping against her chest, her grip on her clothes slowly loosening only for Leona’s around her sides to tighten slightly in return.

—

A collaboration between KilledByMoonfire and I — I did the lines and she did the colors!  
Watching her struggle to try to draw in my style was a blast tbh and I dread having  
to do it the other way around for our next thread when it ends.

—


End file.
